A young woman goes missing in 1937 Beijing. The next morning, her body is discovered near a mysterious tower. Who killed Pamela Werner—and why was the case never solved?

In this special true-crime episode of Chinese Language Convo Club, Vicky and I explore one of old Beijing's most haunting unsolved murders, inspired by Paul French's book Midnight in Peking. We'll follow the investigation, examine the main suspect and competing theories, and uncover the remarkable story of a father who never stopped searching for justice for his daughter.

Along the way, you'll pick up useful Mandarin expressions for discussing mysteries, crime, and investigations—including 悬案 (unsolved case), 侦探 (detective), 证据 (evidence), and 讨回公道 (seek justice).

Come for the mystery. Stay for the Mandarin! Whether you're a true-crime enthusiast, a Chinese learner, or simply love a fascinating story, this episode offers a little something different.

中文

1937年的北京，一名年轻女孩突然失踪。第二天早上，人们在一座神秘的古塔附近发现了她的尸体。究竟是谁杀害了帕梅拉·沃纳？为什么这起案件一直没有侦破？

在这一期特别节目中，Vicky 和 我 带大家走进老北京的一桩真实悬案。故事参考了保罗·弗伦奇的著作《午夜北平》（Midnight in Peking）。

我们会一起了解案件的调查过程、可疑人物和不同的推测，还会讲述一位父亲为了给女儿讨回公道，始终不肯放弃的感人故事。在听故事的同时，你还可以学习一些和犯罪、悬案、调查有关的实用中文表达，比如“悬案”“侦探”“证据”和“讨回公道”。

为悬疑故事而来，为中文学习而留下！ 无论你喜欢真实犯罪故事，还是正在学习中文，都欢迎你来听听这一期特别节目！

PINYIN

Yī jiǔ sān qī nián de Běijīng, yì míng niánqīng nǚhái tūrán shīzōng. Dì èr tiān zǎoshang, rénmen zài yí zuò shénmì de gǔtǎ fùjìn fāxiàn le tā de shītǐ. Jiūjìng shì shéi shāhài le Pàméilā Wònà? Wèishénme zhè qǐ ànjiàn yìzhí méiyǒu zhēnpò?

Zài zhè yì qī tèbié jiémù zhōng, Vicky hé wo dài dàjiā zǒu jìn lǎo Běijīng de yì zhuāng zhēnshí xuán'àn. Gùshi cānkǎo le Bǎoluó Fúlúnqí de zhùzuò 《Wǔyè Běipíng》 (Midnight in Peking).Wǒmen huì yìqǐ liǎojiě ànjiàn de diàochá guòchéng, kěyí rénwù hé bùtóng de tuīcè, hái huì jiǎngshù yí wèi fùqīn wèile gěi nǚ'ér tǎo huí gōngdào, shǐzhōng bù kěn fàngqì de gǎnrén gùshi.

Zài tīng gùshi de tóngshí, nǐ hái kěyǐ xuéxí yìxiē hé fànzuì, xuán'àn, diàochá yǒuguān de shíyòng Zhōngwén biǎodá, bǐrú “xuán'àn”, “zhēntàn”, “zhèngjù” hé “tǎo huí gōngdào”.

Wèi xuányí gùshi ér lái, wèi Zhōngwén xuéxí ér liú xiàlái! Wúlùn nǐ xǐhuan zhēnshí fànzuì gùshi, háishi zhèngzài xuéxí Zhōngwén, dōu huānyíng nǐ lái tīngting zhè yì qī tèbié jiémù!

Trying to learn Chinese? Trying to go to bed earlier? Or trying to explain that you really didn’t mean to upset someone? 😅 Vicky and I explore how to say “I’ll try,” “I’m doing my best,” and “I didn’t mean to” in everyday Mandarin. With relatable examples, a mini role-play, and a few laughs about good intentions and stubborn habits, we unpack 试着, 尽量, 努力, and 尽力—because not every “try” means the same thing!

中文

想学好中文，想早点睡，还是想解释“我真的不是故意的”？😅 这期节目，我和 Vicky 聊聊怎么用中文说“我试试”“我已经在尽力了”和“我没想让你难过”。我们用生活中的例子、一小段情景对话，还有关于早睡早起的玩笑，带你搞清楚“试着”“尽量”“努力”和“尽力”的区别。原来，同样是“try”，用中文说还真不一样！

Pinyin

Xiǎng xué hǎo Zhōngwén, xiǎng zǎodiǎn shuì, háishi xiǎng jiěshì “wǒ zhēn de bú shì gùyì de”? 😅 Zhè qī jiémù, wo hé Vicky liáoliao zěnme yòng Zhōngwén shuō “wǒ shì shi,” “wǒ yǐjīng zài jìnlì le” hé “wǒ méi xiǎng ràng nǐ nánguò.” Wǒmen yòng shēnghuó zhōng de lìzi, yì xiǎo duàn qíngjǐng duìhuà, hái yǒu guānyú zǎo shuì zǎo qǐ de wánxiào, dài nǐ gǎo qīngchu “shìzhe,” “jǐnliàng,” “nǔlì” hé “jìnlì” de qūbié. Yuánlái, tóngyàng shì “try,” yòng Zhōngwén shuō hái zhēn bù yíyàng!

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What does a Maayot Chinese lesson look like?

In this special episode of Chinese Language Convo Club, I am joined by Yunyun, a Chinese teacher from Maayot, for a hands-on Chinese lesson that takes us from input to output.

Using the saying 不要把鸡蛋放在一个篮子里 — “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”, Yunyun walks me through Maayot’s learning approach: listening, understanding vocabulary in context, translation, shadowing, and speaking practice.

Along the way, we learn useful vocabulary for investing and personal finance, and Yunyun shares some interesting language-learning tips—including why closing your eyes can help with listening practice and how “imagined conversations” can help you practice speaking when you’re studying alone.

We then put the method to the test with an unscripted conversation in Chinese about investing!

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中文节目简介:

这一期 Chinese Language Convo Club，我们请到了 Maayot 的中文老师云云，带我们亲自体验一次 Maayot 的中文学习流程！

这堂课围绕一句很有名的话——“不要把鸡蛋放在一个篮子里”。云云会带 我从听对话、理解词汇和跟读练习，一直到开口表达自己的想法，一步一步把中文的“输入”变成“输出”。

我们还会学习一些跟投资理财有关的实用表达。云云也会分享几个有意思的语言学习方法，比如闭上眼睛练听力，以及通过“想象对话”来练习口语。

最后，我也会现场挑战一下，用中文聊聊自己的投资经历！

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Zhè yí qī Chinese Language Convo Club, wǒmen qǐng dào le Maayot de Zhōngwén lǎoshī Yúnyún, dài wǒmen qīnzì tǐyàn yí cì Maayot de Zhōngwén xuéxí liúchéng!

Zhè táng kè wéirào yí jù hěn yǒumíng de huà——“Bú yào bǎ jīdàn fàng zài yí ge lánzi lǐ.” Yúnyún huì dài wo cóng tīng gùshi, lǐjiě cíhuì hé gēndú liànxí, yìzhí dào kāikǒu biǎodá zìjǐ de xiǎngfǎ, yí bù yí bù bǎ Zhōngwén de “shūrù” biàn chéng “shūchū”.

Wǒmen hái huì xuéxí yìxiē gēn tóuzī lǐcái yǒuguān de shíyòng biǎodá. Yúnyún yě huì fēnxiǎng jǐ ge yǒuyìsi de yǔyán xuéxí fāngfǎ, bǐrú bì shàng yǎnjing liàn tīnglì, yǐjí tōngguò “xiǎngxiàng duìhuà” lái liànxí kǒuyǔ.

Zuìhòu, wo yě huì xiànchǎng tiǎozhàn yíxià, yòng Zhōngwén liáoliao zìjǐ de tóuzī jīnglì!

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